The Utah Jazz made a quiet but important roster call this week, fully guaranteeing the contracts of Kyle Filipowski and Svi Mykhailiuk for the 2026-27 season.
Both players were facing Tuesday afternoon guarantee deadlines, and Utah opted to keep them on the books at their current numbers. Filipowski will count for $3 million next season, while Mykhailiuk’s deal comes in at $3.8 million.
Neither move was a shock. The price tags were modest, and both players already looked like sensible depth pieces for a team that expects to be deeper next season.
There’s no indication either is locked into a major role, and both could still have to fight for steady minutes in a crowded rotation. But at those numbers, the Jazz had little reason to walk away.
Filipowski, a third-year big man, fits Utah’s timeline and has flashed real upside over his first two seasons with his offensive versatility. Last season, he put up 11.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 49.2% from the field.
His counting numbers climbed, even if his efficiency dipped a bit. He’ll be 22 to start next season, and the $3 million salary made him an easy keep.
Mykhailiuk’s guarantee was just as straightforward. He appeared in 50 games for the Jazz last season and started 41 of them, averaging 9.4 points while shooting 40.8% from the field. Utah clearly values him as a veteran who can work without the ball and provide steady minutes off the bench.
The guarantees don’t really change the Jazz’s broader roster picture, since both players were already under contract going into the offseason. With free agency now officially open, Utah has 12 players signed to standard contracts, not counting Walker Kessler. Add two-way players Blake Hinson and Tamar Bates, and the number rises to 14.
If Kessler returns, the Jazz would still have two roster spots to fill. That could come through the $15 million mid-level exception, or through additional trades if Utah decides to reshape the group further.
For now, though, the biggest storyline remains Kessler. Utah still has to sort out whether its defensive anchor is coming back on what figures to be a significant raise, either by re-signing with the Jazz or by signing an offer sheet elsewhere that Utah would need to match.
If Kessler is back, the roster starts to look a lot more complete - and a lot more interesting - for a young Jazz team trying to make its mark in a loaded Western Conference.
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Jazz Have A Free Agency Decision Fans Will Definitely Debate
The Jazz have some real flexibility heading into free agency, with about $15 million in non-taxpayer mid-level exception space to work with, but the first priority remains clear: keeping restricted free agent Walker Kessler in the fold. After that, the front office can start weighing whether to use what it has left on a veteran who helps right away, and the list of names Utah is kicking around reflects that balancing act. Marcus Smart, Matisse Thybulle, Gary Payton II and Tobias Harris each bring something different, whether it is defense, toughness or a more settled scoring presence.
For Jazz fans, the debate is easy to see. Smart would bring a proven edge if the market breaks his way, while Thybulle and Payton would tilt the roster toward pressure defense and energy on the perimeter. Harris is the most familiar offensive bet of the group, especially given Utahs previous interest in him before he landed in Detroit, but each option comes with its own cost and fit questions. However the Jazz choose to use that money, it figures to be one of the more interesting calls of their summer. [Read more 🡒]
What Jaylen Brown Would Really Cost The Jazz
Jaylen Browns name is suddenly sitting in the middle of a lot of speculative trade talk after Boston was said to be open to offers for the five-time All-Star, and Utah has naturally surfaced as a team worth watching. The Jazz have former Celtics executives in their front office, which gives any Boston-to-Utah conversation a little extra oxygen, especially with ideas floating around that involve Lauri Markkanen and draft capital.
For Utah, though, the question is less about the allure of a marquee scorer and more about timing. The Jazz have shown no urgency to chase a blockbuster, preferring to keep developing the roster they have and preserve flexibility for what comes next, which makes any Brown pursuit feel more like a debate than an inevitability. And with Markkanen still locked in as a long-term piece, the front office would have to decide whether this is the kind of swing that changes the franchise or just the sort that empties the cupboard. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Are Circling Walker Kessler Again And Jazz Fans Know Why
The Lakers are getting a head start on free agency, and Walker Kessler is part of the conversation again. Los Angeles has lined up meetings with several targets as it tries to add frontcourt help, and the Jazz center is drawing enough leaguewide attention to remain on the radar even as he enters restricted free agency. For Utah, that interest is hardly surprising after Kessler flashed real two-way value before his season was interrupted by a left shoulder injury, a stretch that only sharpened the sense that his market could get complicated.
Kessler is not the only name tied to the Lakers early push. Sandro Mamukelashvili is expected to have plenty of suitors after declining his option with Toronto, while Gary Trent Jr. is also on Los Angeles board after opting out in Milwaukee. For Jazz fans, the Kessler piece is the one to watch, because a team with the Lakers profile circling a restricted free agent always raises the same question: how far will the bidding go before Utah has to decide whether to match and keep its defensive anchor in place? [Read more 🡒]